Advocacy

NRHA Save Rural Hospitals Action Center

As of Oct. 2018, 89 rural hospitals have closed since 2015, with more than 120 and counting closed since 2005. Right now, 673 additional facilities are vulnerable and could close, representing more than one-third of rural hospitals in the U.S.

The rate of closure has steadily increased since sequestration began and bad debt cuts began to hit rural hospitals, resulting in a rate six times higher in 2015 compared to 2010.

It’s clear that cuts in hospital payments have taken their toll, forcing closures and leaving many of our nation's most vulnerable populations without timely access to care.

If Congress doesn't act to stop the bleeding and prevent further rural hospital closures, an estimated 11.7 million patients will lose direct access to care while local economies suffer.